


Moonflower Garden

by ekayla



Series: Zutara Month 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Day 1, F/M, Flowers, Zutara Month 2020, he kinda plays matchmaker, katara owns a flower shop, mentions of Iroh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23935780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekayla/pseuds/ekayla
Summary: Katara owns a flower shop across the street from Iroh's tea shop. Everyday for a week, Iroh sends over his nephew Zuko to bring Katara new teas for her to try.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Month 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725358
Comments: 9
Kudos: 162
Collections: Zutara Month 2020





	Moonflower Garden

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Zutara Month! 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr [Howcouldusaythat](https://howcouldusaythat.tumblr.com/) and twitter [Blarkefart](https://twitter.com/blarkefart) for more fics! :)

It’s a warm day, but the shop isn’t too busy, considering it’s a Monday. There’s only been about three customers since they opened a couple hours ago. Katara should be concerned, but she actually likes slow days like today. Her floral shop, Moonflower Garden, has been doing really well since she opened it last year, mostly attracting online orders. Aang and Sokka help her out with the deliveries, for which she’s very thankful. She didn’t realise how difficult it would be to start a business from nothing, but she’s always loved plants and flowers, and the life they bring to wherever they are. When her house started overflowing with greenery, she knew it was time to pursue her dream. And thus, Moonflower Garden was opened. 

Katara leans on the counter next to the register and flips through a floral design magazine, admiring the pretty arrangements and taking mental notes for new ideas she wants to incorporate into her own work. The bell dings, alerting her to someone walking in. She looks up to see who it is. 

Just across the street from Moonflower Garden, there’s the Jasmine Jewel, a tea shop where Zuko works. His uncle Iroh is the proud owner and manager, and the first week her shop opened he welcomed her to the neighborhood with a coupon for a free tea. Katara had been frequenting the Jasmine Jewel ever since. Her favorite part of her week is stopping by and chatting with Iroh, about everything from the latest neighborhood gossip to the newest tea on the market; he usually insists that she try it, and she can never turn him down. As much as she has gotten to know Iroh, she’s never really talked much with Zuko. She’s tried, but every time she speaks to him, he gives her one word answers then finds some reason to excuse himself from the conversation. His strange interactions have always perplexed her, but have never been a bother. Nonetheless, she’s still surprised to see him walk into her floral shop. 

She tilts her head to the side, but smiles. “Hi Zuko. What can I do for you?” 

He’s holding a cup of tea in a to-go container and glances around the store. “Hi, um, my uncle asked me to bring you this?” He gets close enough to her to set the cup on the counter, then takes a step back. “He says it’s sage tea, the newest one that just arrived. He wanted you to try it, and let him know what you think.” His eyes shift to the side, avoiding Katara’s. 

She picks up the cup, feeling the warmth radiating into her hands. “Oh, wow, thanks! Tell your uncle I’ll get back to him.” She smiles. Zuko nods, then hurries out the door. 

\--

The next day, he returns with another. 

“It’s a new blend of ginger tea.” he says, staring at the cup before his arm jets out in her direction. 

“Thanks, ginger tea is my favorite!” she elates, taking the cup, trying to ignore the rush of electricity coming from where their fingers brush. “Um, what’s your favorite?” 

His eyes finally meet hers. His black hair has grown longer over the past month, and it’s hanging over his forehead, slightly over his eyes. His rich golden eyes… 

Zuko clears his voice. “Oh, um, I like… passion flower. Anyways, I, uh, I have to get back to my uncle.” And with that, he turns on his heel and is out the door before Katara can respond. 

\--

The next two days go the same; Zuko shows up, sometime during the morning with a cup of tea for Katara to try, says a few words, then is out the door. And every time, Katara is left to spend the entire rest of the day distracted with thoughts of Zuko dancing around her mind. By Thursday afternoon, she’s had enough, and decides to do something about it the next time he comes in. 

\-- 

Friday turned out to be a bit busier than the earlier weekdays at Moonflower Garden, a line forming out the door that started not long after opening and lasted until around noon. Katara took orders, arranged flowers, and tried unsuccessfully to eat breakfast amongst it all. By lunch time, she was starving. After the last of the line walked out the door, she quickly grabbed her bento box from the fridge in the back room. Walking out to the counter and pulling up the stool, she hears the bell ding. Without looking up, she lets out an exhausted breath. “Sorry, we’re closed for lunch until one!” 

“Oh, sorry, I’ll just come back later,” Zuko shuffles back towards the door. 

She feels heat rise to her cheeks. “Oh! I’m sorry, I thought you were a customer. Come in, please!” She waves him over. 

Zuko looks behind him, almost like he didn’t believe she was speaking to him. Finally, he answers. “Okay.” He walks over to the counter where Katara is seated. 

Again, like the days before, he’s carrying a to-go cup of tea. He holds it out to her. 

“My uncle-” 

“Zuko-” 

Katara’s eyes shift down while Zuko’s go up to the ceiling, his hand moving up to rub the back of his neck. 

“Thank you.” Katara says in almost a whisper, taking the cup. Like before, their fingers touch, but this time, they linger. Katara lets a bit of excitement flow through her, starting from her hand, to her arm, then coursing through the rest of her body. Hesitantly, she lifts her eyes to him. Zuko surprises her by meeting her gaze, and for a moment she loses her train of thought. Her stomach flutters, and then all of a sudden, as if it's too much to handle, he lets go of the cup, breaking the physical contact much too soon for her liking. 

“You’re welcome. I mean, my uncle says you’re welcome. I just… I just bring it over. He’s old,” he groans. “I mean, not _old_ but like, he’s _older,_ so I guess he doesn’t want to walk across the street? I don’t know, I just do what he asks me, but I don’t mind, really,” he finally gets out.

The corners of Katara’s mouth lift up into a smile, and an eyebrow raises. “Well, it’s very sweet of you to do things for your uncle.” She sets the cup down. 

Zuko’s cheeks turn a light pink, his ears changing to match, darting his eyes to his feet. “Oh, um, thanks. It’s nothing, really. Just walking here and back.” He shrugs. 

“Zuko,” she begins. 

At the sound of his name, he looks back up to meet her gaze. “Yeah?” 

She takes a breath, hoping he doesn’t run away when she says what she wants to say. “Do you want to have lunch with me?” She flashes him a small smile.

Zuko stares at her for a few seconds, mouth parted, before finally answering. 

“Yes. Yes, I would like that very much.” Relieved, he sits down on the second stool that Katara pulls around for him. Katara starts laughing, causing Zuko’s eye brows to furrow. 

“You don’t have your lunch!” 

Zuko closes his eyes and lets out a breath that turns into a chuckle. “Yep, you’re right.” 

He stands up and heads towards the door, and this time Katara smiles as he leaves, knowing he’ll be back.


End file.
